Let’s face it, we’ve all had that moment when we’re trying to rally a team, lead a meeting, or give a toast and suddenly think, “How would Morgan Freeman say this?” It’s a fair question. Because when it comes to influence, we’ve been conditioned to associate impact with polish, charisma, and the booming cadence of a Hollywood voiceover.

But real influence - the kind that makes people sit up, lean in, and take action - has less to do with performance and more to do with presence. Specifically, authentic presence.

There’s a strange myth in leadership—the idea that a great leader must be an unshakable, all-knowing, superhero-type figure who never sweats under pressure. If that were true, we’d all need capes and theme music just to survive a Monday morning staff meeting. But real leadership isn’t about putting on an invincible mask—it’s about taking it off.